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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bound — certain
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — a law
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — government
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — a permit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — from a university
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com